Ben and Georgina: A stress-free move

Ben and Georgina were posted to Canberra and knew what kind of home they wanted. The difficulty lay in the distance, and juggling international travel on top of an already busy family schedule meant that properly researching an area just wasn't feasible. Canberra had changed a great deal since they were last here, and now with schooling to consider they were looking for depth of local knowledge to bring them up to speed. Working together, they secured a great outcome that ticked all the boxes - including a stunning pool - within budget, and all in time for Christmas Day!

"We first used a Buyer's Agent / Buyer's Advocate when we bought our last house in Melbourne 8 years ago. We asked the Buyer's Agent we had used in Melbourne for a recommendation and she asked a number of other Buyer's Agents / Buyer's Advocates. Claire's was the name that came back for the Canberra area. While waiting for that feedback, we had also done some online research and concluded that Claire Corby / Capital Buyers Agency was the clear decision.

One reason we sought Claire’s help was that we were buying from interstate. We didn't want to arrive, put our kids in schools while staying in temporary accommodation, then buy in a different location and move the kids to new schools again.

We really can't understand why anyone would go into a decision as big as real estate without a professional representing them. The seller is represented by a professional, so why should you face them as an amateur? We lived in USA for a few years and even renting, it wasn't possible to get into the market without being represented by a professional. It just doesn't make sense to us that so many Aussies would make such a big decision without professional assistance.

Claire is absolutely amazing. She's a lovely person (which is a huge bonus) but the main thing is she really understands her stuff and goes out of her way to look after your interests. Claire helped us discount houses without wasting further effort based on her knowledge of Canberra, the suburbs, schools, values and local issues. She helped us focus in quickly on the areas that that would work for us, then viewed houses and uploaded video footage that gave us an amazingly accurate feel of the house, while we were 700km away! We have seen three of the houses since seeing Claire's video footage and assessment and there were no surprises at all. We wouldn't hesitate in trusting her reviews entirely and buying a house from interstate or overseas without ever setting foot in it!

Claire took the stress out of the whole situation. The biggest difference however is likely to be financial - there is a very high likelihood that she saved us more than her fees in the price we paid at auction, by the bidding strategy that she helped us devise and the fact that she did the bidding for us, without emotion or anything to give us away to the other bidders. She also guided us away from houses that could have turned out to be less than perfect for capital growth or ease of resale in the long term; again potentially saving us far more than her fees. Claire also gave us her assessment of value on each of the houses we looked into and was our 'crystal ball' helping us predict (quite accurately) what many of the houses would go for at auction. This can save a huge amount of stress, by preventing you getting wound up about the prospect of buying a house you were probably never going to secure within your budget!

Claire allowed us to get excited about the house hunting process without the concerns. She helped us understand the market, the area, find exactly what we were looking for, and no doubt saved us more than her fees in the way she represented us through the buying process. We couldn't recommend her more highly!"

It was an absolute pleasure to help Ben and Georgina navigate a busy, rising market and to cut through the noise with some plain-talking advice. Buying from afar is challenging and I've really enjoyed using my systems and experience to take all the headaches and worries out of the process so they can focus on the big decisions, backed up by clear and transparent guidance. If you'd like someone on your side of the transaction to succeed at auction for the right property for you, please contact me as I'd love to help.

We were starting to feel desperate and almost bought the wrong house! Claire will make buying property easier and less stressful. She knows how the system works, and can use her knowledge and contacts to strategise and come up with a winning plan. We would have either missed out or paid tens of thousands more if we had been doing it on our own. Claire was confident in her strategy, and we were confident in her.

— Louisa & Mick, purchased in Queanbeyan

Ashley and Alanna: Investing for the future

Ashley and Alanna had decided to purchase an investment property in Canberra, and upon first meeting Alanna we chatted over a cup of tea about their goals and aim for the decision to buy here, what kind of property would best meet their needs both now and into the future. With the possibility of residing in the property, it was important that it was both an excellent blue-chip investment yet also be a welcoming family home. A home within walking distance to the schools and style of lifestyle they’d like here, and within budget. It was wonderful to be able to help them gain some clarity on what to purchase here that best met those needs, and to secure that with minimal stress to them.

"As expats currently living in Asia, our goal was to purchase a house that would not only meet our criteria for an investment property but also had the potential to be our family home when we eventually return to Australia. We’d been watching the property market across the eastern seaboard for some time and were stuck on the question, "Do we want to buy?" Once we had decided we did and that Canberra would be the place to buy, we decided to use a buyers agent to help us in more detail.

In our search for the right property, we faced two main challenges. The first was our location. Being based overseas, the ability to see a property first hand was always going to be pretty limited. Our second challenge was market knowledge. We are not from Canberra, so having someone on board who knew the market and those operating in it would be essential for us to secure a quality property, in the right location at a fair price.

Once we engaged Claire, we were very confident that we would find a property to our specifications and within our budget. Claire took the time to educate us on the finer details of the Canberra market. Some of our previous assumptions about what we wanted and didn’t want were tested. Once Claire sent her first week’s review to us, we had complete confidence that she would find something that fitted our brief and in a reasonable time frame. We weren't sure that it would be all that easy to achieve. Without Claire, I don’t believe we would have reached our end goal so quickly!

Working with Claire, we quickly realised that using a buyers agent was less about having arms and legs on the ground for you, but having someone who has "inside" knowledge and relationships that as a casual buyer you could never achieve. Claire is an absolute professional. She does not take on more than a few clients at any one time which means she is completely focused on you. Nor will she take on two clients with the same brief. This was really important to us, because we always knew that any recommendations she made were for our benefit and not hers.

Claire knows her market and goes out of her way to understand her clients. She is relentless, thorough and constantly communicative. I would highly recommend her."

I'm so thrilled they found not only a solid performer for their investment portfolio, but also a home with the potential to be their forever home should they choose to raise the family here in Canberra. If you'd like a professional with insights into the local market and broad networks to give you the edge for your next purchase, please contact me to discuss how I may best assist you.

Without doubt, your knowledge of the Canberra market and your expert handling of the auction took the emotion out of the purchase for us and kept us on track and within budget.Relax and let Claire take the stress, you will make better decisions and save money - it is a no brainer!

— Sean & Tania, purchased in Nicholls

Edward and Marié : International success

When Edward and Marié contacted me, they were living overseas and moving to Canberra in several months’ time following a posting. They hadn’t bought in Canberra before, and while Ed fondly recalled living in the Inner South previously, that was some time ago and many things had since changed. (Thankfully Silo’s bakery is still going strong, or he may have moved to another city!) Marié had never lived in Australia, so it was wonderful to see things through her fresh eyes. It was my job to guide them through the process and welcome them to the next chapter of their lives in Canberra.

"We wanted to buy a house in Canberra that we could move straight into once we got back. We had been looking at properties online for some time but we were feeling quite daunted by the prospect and that we needed an extra level of advice to guide us through.

We immediately took a liking to Claire and could tell we were in very capable hands. She listened to us carefully and helped us define (and distinguish between) our wants and needs. We could tell that she knew what she was doing and that she would work hard to come up with suitable options for us and guide us through the process. We felt reassured that we were working with an expert and excited about the options before us.

Once we engaged Claire, we started making real headway towards our goal of owning a home. Claire introduced us to a wide range of options, including in areas and to types of properties that we had not previously considered. We were excited about the new life that awaited us in Canberra and about the prospect of setting up in a house that was ideal for us. We were saving a lot of time, learning a great deal and very much on track - it was a great feeling!

It was a great pleasure to work with Claire. She was unfailingly responsive, energetic and highly professional as well as patient, thoughtful, reassuring and with a great sense of humour.

We would enthusiastically recommend Claire to anyone. You would be engaging someone with both genuine expertise and professional ability. You would be doing yourself an immense favour, saving time, money and minimising stress by engaging Claire."

Edward and Marié are now happily living in their new home, having done a wonderful job of settling into Canberran life and making their new house a home. Being able to assist them with searching, shortlisting, inspecting, assessing and securing their ideal place was an absolute pleasure, and we had a lot of fun along the way!

If you could use some additional expertise to purchase your next home, please contact me. I’d love to help you experience the same success that the lovely Edward and Marié found.

Claire negotiated vastly better than we could have. In fact, we would have walked away at a difficult point during the negotiation stage if Claire hadn’t persisted.

— Lisa & Reuben, purchased in Googong

Claire was able to identify a number of properties which we had not been able to while searching on the internet. Through her professional advice, she simplified what would otherwise have been a stressful event.

— Darryl & Bonnie, purchased in Griffith

Claire is a professional representative of the buyer’s interest. She has a solid, educated understanding of the Canberra region property market, as well as a deep insight into the nature of the real estate industry tactics. As a Buyer’s Agent, Claire stands out from others in the region due to her professionalism and open, sincere approach.

Her honesty, forthrightness and warm manner make her an absolute pleasure to work with and we have been more than happy with the results she produced. 

— Tobi & Grace, purchased in Monash

From start to completion, Claire’s professional and objective approach ensured the whole project was managed efficiently on her part and with little worry on mine. 

— Rosemary, purchased in Phillip

Kim and Mark : Auction success

Having been looking for quite some time (years, in fact), Kim and Mark contacted me when a house came up that piqued their interest. In the absence of a price tag, they were looking for transparent guidance on what a reasonable offer would be, and an understanding of the process. Some honest advice and in-depth research was exactly what they were after, providing clarity and allowing them to make an informed decision.

"Claire helped us buy a property that suited us perfectly for a price that was market value and reflected our idea of what the property was worth to us. I believe that if Claire had not been negotiating on our behalf in the final stages of our purchase that we would have been convinced to pay more for the property - we really wanted the house and the seller's agent was very persuasive. I am convinced that Claire saved us money.

Claire ensured that we purchased a house that suited us, at a price that was both representative of the market and acceptable to us and worked through the entire process with us right up to settlement.

Having Claire working for us during the process of buying our new home ensured that the process was easy and tension free. She ensured that we had the appropriate advisors and could recommend some great services if we required them.

Claire was highly professional at every step. She met with us very early on in the process to understand exactly what we wanted and the outcome that we expected. She was calm and decisive under pressure. She communicated very well with us and ensured that we knew what was happening at every step in the process. At no time was there any pressure to spend a certain amount or to make an offer over what we were comfortable with. She gave us all the information that we needed to make our decisions but ensured that the decisions were ours. No question was too small or unimportant.

Absolutely use Claire's services! She helped us in so many ways and was integral to securing our new home."

Kim and Mark were very glad to have had someone by their side when the pressure was on. When a property is passed in at auction, it's showtime and a crucial point in the negotiation stage. Handling not only the preparation, but also the negotiations and being by their side right up until settlement day itself, it was a true delight to work with such a lovely, happy couple. Kim is delighted with the convenience of being within walking distance of her son's school, and they're free to enjoy the serene surroundings on lazy weekends - plus the time saved from not looking at allhomes anymore! Their new home suits them perfectly.

If you'd like some honest advice and the professional insight of an experienced buyers agent to successfully purchase your next home, please contact me. I’d love to help you secure your ideal home, just as Kim and Mark have done.

Claire assisted us with negotiating prior to auction, saving us from a lot of stress, time and money. We highly recommend Claire to anyone trying to purchase in this increasingly challenging real estate market, regardless of the size of the purchase.

— Daniel & Julia, purchased in Cook

Having Claire act on our behalf took the stress out of buying our house, whilst having the confidence we weren’t paying over market value for the property we wanted.

— Aaron & Kerry, purchased in Weetangera

Mark and Jackie : From novice to knowledgeable

This beautiful couple had a rocky start to their property search. New to the auction scene, they needed someone with experience to clarify what agents were really saying, and someone working for them to give realistic advice. They were unsure where to turn to gain the necessary knowledge in a short period of time to avoid overpaying for their ideal home. Once we began, things changed for the better...

"We felt reassured that someone in the process was on our side, and we were swiftly educated in the gap between what is stated and how things really work. Most of all, we felt we had a strategy for securing a property rather than just hope.

I think the most significant difference once we engaged Claire was the amount of facts and data we had access to. Even at our preliminary meeting, she arrived with a pile of previous sale prices for the area, insights into the selling agent's approach, advice on what would constitute a bargain versus what would constitute overpaying, and guidance on how the relationship between us could work to best effect. That degree of thoroughness and professionalism was what made us feel confident and that, if we won the property, we'd be happy, and if we lost, then we would have stepped aside when the price became too inflated to justify continuing.

Our excitement and naivete was replaced with hard-headed confidence. We'd been wide-eyed and hopeful, but bringing Claire in made us practical, professional and a force to be bargained with.

The biggest lesson we learned along the way was that enthusiasm, hope and a decent budget aren't always enough, and that research, experience, and a little extra investment in a different area --hiring Claire -- can vastly alter things in your favour.

Working with Claire made us feel that we were going into battle with a secret weapon others couldn't match and wouldn't be ready for.

If you're thinking about working with Claire, I'd say 'do it' in a heartbeat. The investment in Claire's services was small in relation to what we were prepared to spend on our house and the investment gave us a return many times greater than the initial sum paid out. For a small fee, we gained knowledge, an advocate, guidance, counsel and, of course, our home."

Mark and Jackie were delighted to have had someone handle the auction preparation and bidding for them, and I'll never forget the look on Mark's face when he arrived with his son to sign the contract after winning the auction. It was brilliant - one of life's happy moments. They're now enjoying weekends with the family, running around with kids' activities rather than the treadmill of another weekend of open homes. I'm delighted to have been able to help them secure their dream home.

If you are interested in appointing an experienced buyers agent to purchase your next home, please contact me. I’d love to help you secure your own dream home, just as Mark and Jackie have done.

Using a buyer’s agent, we discovered, is not just something for top-end buyers.

The minute we met Claire, we had complete confidence in her. She gave astute market advice, then bid for us strategically at auction, clearly using great knowledge of the market. Claire won our house for us in a hugely competitive market. Even if we had lost out on that one, we already planned to have Claire continue to represent us.

With the real estate agent representing the seller, having an agent actively working on your behalf really makes a difference. And Claire is good for a laugh, and for a de-stress afterwards. So many thanks.

— Gina & Louise, purchased in Dickson

Claire used her knowledge of the auction process to gain the best outcome for us. Her experience took the stress out of a very tense situation.

— Steve & Christine, purchased in Nicholls

Claire’s local knowledge and contacts made the process easy and I would never have been able to negotiate such a low price without her.

— Meredith, purchased in Charnwood

Claire made the whole process so easy. Thank you for wonderful and professional service at all times.

— Bernard & Sally, purchased in Nicholls

I'd be delighted to help you achieve outcomes such as these. Please contact me to find out more.